Liz Zarro, Product Design BFA ‘15, currently designs performance bags for Nike, Jordan, and ACG brands. She began her professional career in 2013 with an internship at Will Leather Goods. She went on to perform product design work as an Independent Designer in categories from accessories to pet gear to tech and more. For eight years, she designed performance outdoor dog products for Bend-based Ruffwear, leading its color, print, and DTC strategy. Liz’s approach is human-centered. She believes product design should uplift and inspire.

Julian Watts is an artist and woodworker who combines traditional woodcarving techniques with a contemporary sculptural approach, creating work that explores the intersections between sculpture, functionality, nature, and the human body. Born in San Francisco, Watts earned a BFA in sculpture from the University of Oregon and apprenticed under several San Francisco-based furniture makers before establishing his own practice. He currently lives and works in rural Oregon, drawing on the lush, forested environment of the region for both material and inspiration. His work has been shown internationally including recent solo exhibitions at SarahMyerscough Gallery in London and Curators Cube in Tokyo, as well as in numerous art fairs including Design Miami, Fog Fair, PAD London, and Salon Art & Design New York. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Architectural Digest, The New Yorker, and American Craft Magazine, among other publications. He has taught woodcarving at numerous institutions around the country including Anderson Ranch, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and California College of the Arts as the Wornick Distinguished Visiting Professor of Wood Arts.

Since graduating from UO, Kyle’s worked professionally as a 3D generalist and independent filmmaker. His most recent film, Grizzly Business, won Best of Oregon at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation, and Technology and has shown at festivals around the world. When not navigating the Great Plains of the 3D Viewport, Kyle dabbles in other mediums such as stop-motion animation, digital illustration, and a failed stint at piano lessons.